It is common to experience depressed moods or "the blues" at some points in life. Most often, these periods of sadness occur as a result of a life change, either in the form of a personal setback, or a loss such as the death of a loved one.

Most types of depression respond to either an antidepressant medication or psychotherapy. Sometimes people with depression are unaware that medications can help them, or they are at first hesitant to take antidepressant medications to manage their condition.

If winter, and the holiday season in particular, get you down or cause you to feel depressed - take heart. A clinical study showed that exercise is as effective as medication at beating the blues. The 10-month study, conducted at Duke University Medical center, Durham, North Carolina, assessed 156 adult patients who suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD).

If, like me, lots of you have also become fed up with all those smarmy smiling new-age gurus who advise us that to feel great, and to be great, all we really need to do is think good thoughts all the time, you're going to get lots of pleasure from a small group of therapists who claim that always looking on the bright side of life may be - na ...

Individuals with depression often frustrate and alienate those around them. Not surprisingly, family members and friends often are unclear as to what they can do to help someone who is depressed. The following dos and don'ts may be helpful: DO: Remind yourself that the depressed person is ill, and not responsible for actions or inactions that you ...

Prozac®, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Zoloft®, psychoanalysis, Paxil®...these are just a handful of the dozens of options out there for treating depression. In fact, there are so many medication options and psychotherapy styles, finding the right approach may seem so daunting you just want to bury your head in the sand.

Print this page and answer the questions. Use this tool to build fun and enjoyment into your life. What place does fun or enjoyment have in your life right now? Have you given it up recently? Some people never learned to value enjoyment in their ...